The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve chairman to lead a central bank whose independence is under attack and with inflation at a three-year high. The Senate voted 54 to 45 to in favour of Warsh, with Republicans holding a slim majority and ensuring US President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell was confirmed. Once known as a monetary “hawk” again...
The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new Federal Reserve chairman to lead a central bank whose independence is under attack and with inflation at a three-year high. The Senate voted 54 to 45 to in favour of Warsh, with Republicans holding a slim majority and ensuring US President Donald Trump’s nominee to replace Jerome Powell was confirmed. Once known as a monetary “hawk” against inflation, Warsh has shifted in line with Trump’s push for lower interest rates that has posed an...
Earnings Call Insights: Infinity Natural Resources (INR) Q1 2026 Management view “The first quarter was pivotal for Infinity,” including closing “the Antero, Ohio Utica acquisition in late February” and “added working interest in our Pennsylvania asset sets through the Chase acquisition,” which “immediately increase our scale with our operated well count increasing from 154 to 395 and our midstrea...
Earnings Call Insights: Infinity Natural Resources (INR) Q1 2026 Management view “The first quarter was pivotal for Infinity,” including closing “the Antero, Ohio Utica acquisition in late February” and “added working interest in our Pennsylvania asset sets through the Chase acquisition,” which “immediately increase our scale with our operated well count increasing from 154 to 395 and our midstream system expanding to over 250 miles of gathering and water pipelines” (President, CEO & Director Zack Arnold). “Net production averaged 299 million cubic feet equivalent of gas per day,” and the company “added a second frac crew and a second rig during the quarter,” while “we stimulated 11 wells and drilled 10 wells to TD, which is a company record” (President, CEO & Director Arnold). “As of today, we have accelerated completion activity in our volatile oil window to capture stronger near-term returns, which includes pulling 4 oil-weighted wells into the second quarter from later in the year with mostly unhedged barrels,” while “we retain the flexibility as always, to quickly pivot between commodities” (President, CEO & Director Arnold). “We generated approximately $155 million in revenues for the quarter and adjusted EBITDA of $97 million,” and “controllable cash operating costs during the quarter totaled $1.43 per Mcfe,” with costs “reflect[ing] the impact of an extremely cold winter” (Executive VP, CFO & Director David Sproule). “To put it bluntly, we believe it is poised to become a meaningful contributor to future results,” as the acquired midstream system is “underutilized, operating at less than 1/4 of its currently available capacity,” and “approximately 75% of Infinity’s natural gas volumes are flowing through our owned Midstream system” (President, CEO & Director Arnold). Outlook “We anticipate that our production will increase each quarter throughout the remainder of the year,” and “we expect the first quarter to be our lowest production total for the calendar y...
SCM Jeans FedEx Corporation ( FDX ) announced that its board approved the tax-free spinoff of FedEx Freight to be completed June 1. On that date, FedEx ( FDX ) shareholders will receive one share of FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) for every two FedEx ( FDX ) shares owned. Notably, FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) will begin trading as the largest North American less-than-truckload carrier operating roughly 355 servi...
SCM Jeans FedEx Corporation ( FDX ) announced that its board approved the tax-free spinoff of FedEx Freight to be completed June 1. On that date, FedEx ( FDX ) shareholders will receive one share of FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) for every two FedEx ( FDX ) shares owned. Notably, FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) will begin trading as the largest North American less-than-truckload carrier operating roughly 355 service centers, ~30K vehicles, and ~39K employees across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The spinoff has a record date of May 15, giving investors a few more days to lock in FedEx Freight shares before they have to buy them on the open market. Earlier in the week, FedEx ( FDX ) held a meeting with analysts to break down more details about the June 1 separation. The management team set medium-term targets for FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) of a revenue CAGR of 4% to 6% (balanced between volume and yield), an adjusted operating income CAGR of 10% to 12%, and free cash flow of over $1B. Notably, FedEx ( FDX ) said customer churn has been limited ahead of the business split, and the unbundling process is ~99% complete. The expectation is that the path to long-term value generation is set. Bank of America analyst Ken Hoexter highlighted that over the next 18 months, FedEx Freight's ( FDXF ) priority is to exit transition service agreements as soon as possible to reduce costs & improve its IT roadmap. Hoexter said the next phase is to automate more with AI. Notably, the market appears to value FedEx Freight at ~25X, per Hoexter, at a discount to the valuation of peers at 30X to 40X. Suquehanna analyst Harrison Bauer and his team view FedEx Freight ( FDXF ) management as clear-eyed on operational performance and pricing. The firm continues to see the path to long-term value generation as credible and supportive of its bull rating on FDX into the spinoff. Morgan Stanley analyst Ravi Shanker views the next 12 months as an opportunity for FedEx Freight ( FDXF ...
Expensive stocks typically earn their valuations through superior growth rates that other companies simply can’t match. The flip side though is that these lofty expectations make them particularly susceptible to drawdowns when market sentiment shifts.
Expensive stocks typically earn their valuations through superior growth rates that other companies simply can’t match. The flip side though is that these lofty expectations make them particularly susceptible to drawdowns when market sentiment shifts.
支付巨头PayPal周三宣布与人工智能公司Anthropic达成合作，共同推出面向小型企业的免费AI培训课程及自动化工具，旨在弥合小商户在AI应用方面的技能鸿沟。 培训课程：填补AI技能缺口 调查数据显示，82%的小企业认为采用AI技术对保持竞争力至关重要，但73%的企业表示缺乏必要的工具或培训。为此，双方推出名为“AI Fluency for Small Business”的免费在线课程，包含九...
支付巨头PayPal周三宣布与人工智能公司Anthropic达成合作，共同推出面向小型企业的免费AI培训课程及自动化工具，旨在弥合小商户在AI应用方面的技能鸿沟。 培训课程：填补AI技能缺口 调查数据显示，82%的小企业认为采用AI技术对保持竞争力至关重要，但73%的企业表示缺乏必要的工具或培训。为此，双方推出名为“AI Fluency for Small Business”的免费在线课程，包含九个课时，融合AI研究人员与小企业主的实战视频，采用互动式自主学习模式。完成课程后可获得结业证书。该计划是PayPal支持小企业提升数字经济技能目标的重要组成部分。 AI自动化助手 Anthropic同步推出面向小企业的AI助手插件，将Claude AI与PayPal平台、QuickBooks、HubSpot、Canva等工具打通。该插件可处理发票开具、退款、月末结账、现金流预测等任务，所有交易在执行前均需用户确认审批。Anthropic还开发了15项针对小企业痛点的专用技能。 战略意义与市场反响 PayPal首席企业事务官表示，公司致力于帮助中小企业在AI驱动的经济中充分利用潜力。Anthropic认为，下一波AI应用将由街边小店、个体创业者及家族企业驱动。该合作宣布后，PayPal股价跌幅明显收窄。 责任编辑：张俊 SF065
Elon Musk ’s xAI has recruited multiple Wall Street firms with ties to the billionaire’s business empire to test its Grok chatbot, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a push to bolster revenue ahead of parent company SpaceX’s initial public offering. Apollo Global Management Inc. and Morgan Stanley have begun using Grok internally alongside software from other AI model makers, sa...
Elon Musk ’s xAI has recruited multiple Wall Street firms with ties to the billionaire’s business empire to test its Grok chatbot, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a push to bolster revenue ahead of parent company SpaceX’s initial public offering. Apollo Global Management Inc. and Morgan Stanley have begun using Grok internally alongside software from other AI model makers, said the people, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the information is not public. Valor Equity Partners is also using Grok, the people said. Despite some banks signing up for Grok, financiers are rarely using the chatbot for work, some of the people said. Musk’s AI venture is moving with urgency to boost revenue by selling chatbot subscriptions and access to its computing resources before SpaceX’s expected IPO next month. Much of xAI’s sales to date have come from deals with Musk’s other ventures, including SpaceX and Tesla Inc. , and its tools are widely viewed as inferior to those of rivals OpenAI and Anthropic PBC for the finance industry. In the runup to its merger with SpaceX, xAI was burning through almost $1 billion per month, Bloomberg News has reported. To gain a footing in the finance sector, Musk’s company is tapping into his personal network. Apollo has worked closely with xAI on financing for Nvidia Corp. chips. Morgan Stanley, meanwhile, has been the billionaire’s go-to bank for years and is one of several firms expected to have a senior role in the SpaceX IPO. And Valor Equity Partners, which is run by longtime Musk ally Antonio Gracias, is an investor in xAI and SpaceX. Representatives for xAI, Morgan Stanley and Valor did not respond to requests for comment. Apollo declined to comment. As xAI pushes into finance, its also contending with a change to its leadership. Jon Shulkin , xAI’s chief revenue officer and a key proponent of its strategy to pitch Grok to corporate clients, is stepping back from his role at the company, according to a person familiar ...
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s xAI has recruited multiple Wall Street firms with ties to the billionaire’s business empire to test its Grok chatbot, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a push to bolster revenue ahead of parent company SpaceX’s initial public offering.Most Read from BloombergAmbani’s Cola War With Coke, Pepsi Spurs Fridge Bonanza in IndiaNvidia’s CEO Joins Trump in Ch...
(Bloomberg) -- Elon Musk’s xAI has recruited multiple Wall Street firms with ties to the billionaire’s business empire to test its Grok chatbot, according to people familiar with the matter, part of a push to bolster revenue ahead of parent company SpaceX’s initial public offering.Most Read from BloombergAmbani’s Cola War With Coke, Pepsi Spurs Fridge Bonanza in IndiaNvidia’s CEO Joins Trump in China With AI in the SpotlightMamdani Scraps Property Tax Hike, Counts Second-Home RevenueInside a Yea
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Workday ( WDAY ) is yet another victim of the SaaSpocalypse, with the stock down by more than 50% over the past 12-month period. The upcoming Q1 report next week is unlikely to change this dynamic, as investors' negative sentiment towards software stocks will likely persist. While the 3-month report could do little to alleviate WDAY's investors' pain, it ...
hapabapa/iStock Editorial via Getty Images Workday ( WDAY ) is yet another victim of the SaaSpocalypse, with the stock down by more than 50% over the past 12-month period. The upcoming Q1 report next week is unlikely to change this dynamic, as investors' negative sentiment towards software stocks will likely persist. While the 3-month report could do little to alleviate WDAY's investors' pain, it will be of crucial importance when judging the company's ability to withstand industry-wide headwinds. But before we go into specifics, there are a couple of things worth noting. Firstly, WDAY's drop has been more pronounced than those of larger software players. While the performance of Intuit ( INTU ), Salesforce ( CRM ), and SAP ( SAP ) has stabilized in recent months, Workday's stock has continued to descend. Data by YCharts This is largely linked to smaller players' more sensitive bottom lines, as they lack the economies of scale that the likes of SAP and Salesforce possess. It is entirely linked to idiosyncratic risks, as WDAY's beta is roughly in-line with those of the other peers mentioned above. Prepared By The Author Using Data From Seeking Alpha I have been warning against these risks related to profitability since I first covered WDAY with a sell rating back in 2023. Having said that, my recent upgrade to a Hold was premature, as in the months that followed it became clear that all large-cap Software-as-a-Service players will be severely impacted by fears of AI agents disrupting their business. Nonetheless, I did warn investors that it was still too early to draw any meaningful conclusions from WDAY's recent improvements in quarterly metrics - something that will once again be a key area to focus on in the upcoming earnings release. In recent quarters, however, there are some early positive signs emerging and in my view this is worth keeping an eye on for at least a few more quarters before any sustainable trend reversals in the share price could be expected. So...
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to discuss the macro-backdrop and specifically discuss the factors driving US equities higher over the past few weeks. I think this is timely because the primary cause for worry back in March - the military conflict in Iran - remains a wildcard. Yet stocks, both here and abroad, have been rallying...
Thomas Barwick/DigitalVision via Getty Images Main Thesis & Background The purpose of this article is to discuss the macro-backdrop and specifically discuss the factors driving US equities higher over the past few weeks. I think this is timely because the primary cause for worry back in March - the military conflict in Iran - remains a wildcard. Yet stocks, both here and abroad, have been rallying hard. This surely has some readers wondering if the good times will last and if a sharp correction is right around the corner. But the good news is the market is rallying for legitimate reasons. One is that positive news cycles out of the Middle East are helping with the rebound for sure. But the other factor is corporate earnings season in the US is showcasing just how dominant the Tech sector in America is. With the "Mag 7" still heavily influencing the S&P 500 (and the NASDAQ 100), their underlying strength is helping propel the market to fresh highs despite the headwinds: 1-Month Return (S&P 500, QQQ, World Index) (Google Finance) In this review I am going to tackle the "why" behind these moves. Of course there is more than one reason, but it is important to understand the factors behind the rally in order to better predict how sustainable this rally is. In short, there are legitimate reasons why US stocks in particular have rallied, driven by a number of positive stories out of the Tech sector. Those will be the focus of this article, and my hope is it gives readers confidence to approach the second half of 2026. AI More Important Than War? Probably the biggest story over the past year that has only accelerated to this day is Artificial Intelligence. Specifically, corporate investment in it and the goals of enhanced productivity (and profitability) as a result of it. And this is no small development. While many nations are investing mildly, American corporations are leading the charge when it comes to this innovation. This isn't too surprising in and of itself, but wh...
Organic Media/E+ via Getty Images By Rafael Silva In our first article of the year, we spoke about how robotics was at the cusp of a period of rapid expansion. We’re now almost halfway through 2026 and everything continues to point in that direction. The prevailing narrative has shifted from conceptual prototypes to firm production timelines and commercial deployments. Robotics is now a mass-scale...
Organic Media/E+ via Getty Images By Rafael Silva In our first article of the year, we spoke about how robotics was at the cusp of a period of rapid expansion. We’re now almost halfway through 2026 and everything continues to point in that direction. The prevailing narrative has shifted from conceptual prototypes to firm production timelines and commercial deployments. Robotics is now a mass-scale industry driven by the convergence of advanced software, specialized hardware, and reshoring capital flows. A closer look at recent industry data provides a clear picture of this structural shift in action. The Evolution of Physical AI The foundational shift in 2026 is the scaling of Physical AI . While prior years focused on language-based generative AI, the current cycle involves models built for spatial awareness and physical action. These models allow machines to process their 3D surroundings in real time and adapt to unpredictable tasks and novel scenarios. This newfound autonomy is pushing the robotics market far beyond rigid factory floors and into highly dynamic, real-world environments. Robot foundation models, or AI “brains” trained on broad data to handle perception and motor control across varied tasks, are scaling rapidly. For example, NVIDIA ( NVDA )* has already announced its next-generation GR00T N2 robotics foundation model, building on the widely used GR00T N1.7, which is expected to appear later this year. We are seeing similar launches from emerging players like Generalist AI with its GEN-1 “brain in a box” platform, while AGIBOT recently unveiled its Embodied Foundation Model with similar third-party licensing intent. This model-as-a-service strategy is gaining rapid traction across the broader ecosystem. Skild AI and Physical Intelligence (pi0) are both building foundation models on massive datasets specifically to be licensed to third-party robotics companies. This widespread surge in development validates a critical shift: the intelligence layer of ...
June WTI crude oil (CLM26 ) today is up +0.50 (+0.49%), and June RBOB gasoline (RBM26 ) is down -0.0340 (-0.92%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are mixed today, with crude posting a 1-week high. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is tightening global oil supplies and supporting...
June WTI crude oil (CLM26 ) today is up +0.50 (+0.49%), and June RBOB gasoline (RBM26 ) is down -0.0340 (-0.92%). Crude oil and gasoline prices are mixed today, with crude posting a 1-week high. The ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz is tightening global oil supplies and supporting...